She saw them. May saw them. She saw Ash and Misty kissing. They were happy together; you could read it in their eyes. She deluded herself: there wasn't ever going to be a place for her in her friend's hearth, already filled long time ago. She had to give up to be only one of his many partners around the world. Friendship is the only thing he granted her. She was feeling stupid for having believed in something this impossible or having just hoped for it…
She ran away at breakneck speed from her hiding spot while tears had started to run down her cheeks. First running, then walking, she didn't stopped fleeing until a railing stopped her; moreover she was tired and didn't had any strength left to keep on spinning around.
Out of breath and eyes veiled by tears she leaned on the railing. The only thoughts going on in her mind were about what happened just before. It had become an obsession in her mind that pestered her relentlessly. She focused Ash and Misty, the smiles full of emotion in their faces, their entwined lips… And it was excruciating.
Suddenly, a hand laid on her shoulder.
She looked up, staring with carelessness the sunset just started on the horizon. She didn't bothered looking who it was because she didn't cared about anyone in that moment. Or at least, she didn't until two fingers slowly touched her skin and a red rose was stuck with grace in her hair popping up slightly off of her bandana. She brought a hand just above her forehead and touched it, slowly. She knew far too well who putted it there: in the entire universe only one person could have done that. She touched those delicate petals, for then pass to the stem without spikes to make sure it was all real and it wasn't just her imagination trying to trick her.
It was like someone moved a Time Gear or suddenly pushed the stop button of a song just when it reached her climax for then restarts it at maximum speed. Just like that her hearts stopped for a moment for then start pounding once again louder than before; she almost feared that it would have come out of her chest, or that he would have perceive her agitation and could hear it beat wildly, realizing that that was the effect it made every time they would encounter again.
«I never thought you were so sensitive, May. »
That melodic voice made her turn immediately. A Coordinator, her number one rival to be exact was smiling at her. What he always did: a amused arrogant grin that despite all attracted her.
Without thinking of it she hugged him, resting her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and started sobbing, careless of anything. She needed to confide and he was there.
The green guy didn't opposed, moreover, he brushed kindly the hair, squeezing her harder to himself and said: «Can you stop crying? I don't want to see you like this. »
The girl winced; she wasn't expecting an act like that from him. «Drew…» she murmured, while new tears started running down her cheek replacing the old ones. At this rate she was scared she could wet of her stupid and uncontrolled sadness his lilac jacket. But it was nice being there in his arms. She didn't felt like that with anyone else: like that had always been her place and she didn't ever knew or accepted or knowing.
Yes, because to her, from the first moment she says him she always liked Ash Ketchum. She liked his determination, the effort he made on following his dream and moreover is loyalty and instinct that always bought him to save who was in danger, even if that meant risking his own life. An unconscious and stubborn boy that if had a goal intended to finish it at all coasts…
It was him, teaching her to love Pokémon, and it was him that during her competitions incited her more than anyone else on the first row of the public because he believed in her.
Yes, it could very well be only a good friendship, but May had always had in her head the conviction that he was her ideal type.
But then why every time she and Drew's green eyes met each other her heath would start beating faster and she would become red every time they talked? Why it would make her this strange effect? They had always been rivals, nothing more.
Wait a moment… But was she really this sure about it? She stopped reflecting, then slowly and reluctantly she pulled away taking a step back. She looked into his marvelous emerald eyes that rarely could stand up if compared with hers, plus still lucid eyes; they had the desire to confide a little more and they wouldn't had withhold themselves if she blinked even once, like a wave breaking on the reef.
The green, with a quick gesture of his hands, elegantly he lifted the girl's chin, forcing her to look at him again. By now he was sure one hundred percent of what he was about to do.
She could have even got lost in the sea of green that attracted her like a magnet.
Drew smiled once again, then he closed his eyes and with his other hand he pushed vainly her hairs from her forehead. He then got closer to her, making snap join their lips in a kiss, that both of them always withhold from exchange, overwhelmed of the fear of ruin their complicated relationship and the rivalry that bounded them.
May, at first a little timid, she threw her arms around his neck as fresh tears and a smile raised were painted on her face. If he didn't supported her she would have surely fell on the ground considering that her legs were shaking and she couldn't stand up because of the new and marvelous emotion she had just discovered.
The sunset, with his sharp shades of warm colors was the perfect background behind them, together with the vaporous clouds that withdrew thrusts in a common direction.
The boy tried pulling away, but she caught him back quickly, pulling him closer thanks to the sleeve of his jacket. They were forehead to forehead, their lips were a hand to a puff, and both were flushed red in the face and out of breath. May, despite feeling a mild headache and the world around spinning, didn't made a single move, she only held him for support.
«I'm sorry, I don't know what has gotten into me» Drew tried to justify himself, but she put two fingers gently on his lips before he could go any further, and smiled sweetly. That was her first and true smile of that day.
They were still close and didn't stop staring each other intensely: sapphire innocent into a decided emerald.
«I also want to apologize for before. But… If I have to say the truth, I didn't mind what you did» she admitted, pushed by the boldness of stop lying. If she had to tell the truth, there was no better time than that to do it. She was sure she would have never had a chance like that.
«Well, at least it made you stop crying» he commented, smiling slightly, perhaps with the intention to play down.
Why did he remind her? He reminded her unconsciously the reason of her bitter tears. She looked down and shook her head; right now, for an instant, she had seemed to see Ash's hat between the bushes. She was definitely becoming paranoiac.
«Now, can you explain to me what happened?» asked then Drew, driven by the insane curiosity which was devouring him from the start of that encounter. There had to be a reason: she always hid her sadness behind a smile, saying everything was alright.
«I've just discovered that unrequited love can hurt you. A lot… Or at least more than I thought.» It was a simple and direct sentence, which was enough to sum up all of her pain.
Drew remained silent for a bit, to swallow the thought that May was in love with someone without his knowledge. «It isn't always like that» he said remaining expressionless.
«Ah, what do you know!» she challenged him, planting her hands to her hips.
He shook his shoulders then smiled. «Did someone ever told you that red roses are the symbol of love?» he asked brazenly, brushing her hair where the flower he gave her before was still lying.
As he touched her May gasped and blushed. «Y-You've always told me that the five roses you gave me, six with this, were for my Beautifly. No?» she asked, faking indifference, that didn't worked that well and sounded more like soft nervousness.
«You are more naive than I thought. I see you also kept the number» replied amused the green.
The girl in that moment felt really blaze: curse to his mouth! «What then? What's wrong if I keep the count?» she mumbled, shifting her eyes to avoid his.
She lingered to look at the trees to her right, that were already losing the autumnal leaves thanks to the slight wind that made them sway; slowly bringing them to fall exactly next to them. It had seemed to glimpse a serrated tail between the branches still loaded, but apparently it had been her impression: she had flapped twice her eyelids and didn't see anything, only leaves. Paranoid, she was becoming even more paranoid: everywhere she turned seemed to see Ash and Pikachu.
Drew smiled with some bitterness. «Nothing. At least those roses means nothing for you, right?» he said, bringing her back to reality.
«Instead you're wrong!» she answered back, gesticulating sprightly from agitation. «They mean more than you can imagine!»
She didn't want the conversation to degenerate as well. She cared about him, more than even admit to herself, but she didn't know how to prove it. It was a delicate situation, and any word spoken without thinking could have been ruined the whole atmosphere that had been created with each passing minute; as an object of glass or crystal that falls and shatters into a thousand pieces, so its little throbbing heart could shatter.
«At least you don't even consider me your friend. I'm only the rival that makes fun of you.»
Now, Drew was definitely exaggerating, or maybe he was doing it on purpose, because he perfectly knew that it wasn't the truth.
«That's not true! I… I consider you more than just a friend!» admitted May, with words that were dying in his throat. She couldn't find the right ones, there were so many that she wanted to say and that she had always kept for herself… But she couldn't do any misstep, she couldn't risk. Otherwise he would have gone away as usual, after launching another rise in May's hands as a souvenir, without even looking back, and certainly she wouldn't see him again for who knows how long.
«Is it possible that I always have to explain everything to you?» The Green let out a sigh. «Those roses have never been for your Pokémon.. They've always been for you, May. I consider you more than a friend too… You're… Special.»
Silence.
The girl had a start. She didn't expected a speech like that from a proud like him.. Her heart had start beating uncontrollably, making the beats resonating in the ears one by one. She looked like a statue: Motionless, continuing to stare at Drew's safety overflowing eyes, seeking comfort in them.
Neither of them knew what to say. So the green finally decided, thinking it was better to break the embarrassment created. «What's wrong? Are you shocked by my revelation or am I so beautiful that you enchanted looking at me?» he asked with his little smile, brushing a lock of hair from her face.
The girl snorted, pretending to be offended, then she folded her arms. «Yes, you're always the same: beautiful and vain! But if you really want to know, I like you the way you are!» She revealed. Suddenly, more confident, seeing that he had pulled back out his sarcasm.
She took that shred of bravery she had, roughly pulling him by the shirt. It all happened in a moment: She pulled him close, kissing him gently. A kiss full of emotions, a kiss that had solved all, a kiss that arrived where words had failed.
Drew smiled. He did it. Then those roses were not so useless as it sometimes thought!
Even May had managed, in his own way of course, to reveal his feelings to him. And she was right: she was finally happy. No longer had to pretend, never again.
"Well, Ash, you made your choice and I have mine. Always we will remain good friends, and you will always be my mentor, even if I have Drew now. Never forget it, I love you" she thought, looking back for a moment and hinting a tender smile. He'd never heard those words, but it mattered little, because she was certain that he would understand in one glance.
«Well, I think we did a great job, Ash. It was a good idea to tell Drew about where May went. I was sure it would end like this, you could see a mile away that they liked each other. And this sunset makes it even more romantic!» said Misty, enthusiastic, with a dreamy sigh. She always wanted to say that sentence, and now she was free to do without embarrassment. It was evident that she had removed and enormous weight. She hugged Ash from behind, resting her head on this shoulder.
«Yes, you're right. I just want May to be happy, she doesn't deserve to suffer because of me. Well, I am sure that Drew will be perfect for her» he said, with a hint of a smile, with a bit of bitter. He didn't seem entirely satisfied. Was he regretting of having chosen Misty? But no, he just didn't go down the idea that May had forgotten him so fast: that meant that she didn't care enough about him, except as a best friend.
But he knew it was the right thing to do, at least the story would end a long-awaited happy ending, so they'd say goodbye to the past, because a new future would blossomed soon, to the sunset.
He smiled watching them going away, holding their hands each other: this time finally even May smiled, holding in the hands the red rose that just before adorned her hair, now moved by the slight wind breeze.
Authoress Space
Ehm, hello everybody!
I'm Blue Eich, an Italian authoress who has decide to translate all their stories about Pokémon in English, to let as much people as possible to read them.
This is my first Fanfiction ever, dating back to September 2012, when I was only 13 years hold. This is because maybe is boring and not perfect, but at the time I wrote with so much commitment. Recently, this story has reached 1000 visit on EFP!
I would like to say thank you to my wonderful translators, Chihiru – she has translated the first three pages – and Raffaele Russo – he has translated the last page and he double check the translation. Without them I could never publish this story in English!
Thanks to those who have read the story up to the end.
See you next time!
-H.H -